The Kingdom of Sweden is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe. It occupies the eastern portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Stockholm is the country’s capital and largest city.

Diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Sweden were established in 1947 and have steadily intensified during the years. The Swedish government’s interest in the Philippines heightened in 1986, after the People Power Revolution. Several high-level officials of the Philippines and Sweden have exchanged visits. Sweden is also an important partner of the Philippines, in the context of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-European Union (EU) Cooperation.

The Philippines is one of the main partners of Sweden in the latter’s development cooperation program with Southeast Asia. In 2004, the government of Sweden, through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), pledged to extend R4.7 million to the Philippines as emergency fund for flood and landslide victims in Southern Leyte and four provinces in the Caraga Region in Mindanao. The Swedish assistance is helping finance ongoing emergency response operations, including building and rehabilitating houses, re-establishing and improving damaged water supply systems, providing sanitation facilities, distributing livelihood items to affected families, and establishing and training community-based volunteer forces and barangay disaster action teams.

Sweden has been a development partner of the Philippines. Sweden’s cooperation with the Philippines focuses on issues concerning the environment, human rights, good governance, and training and assistance to non-government organizations (NGOs).

Last year, the Department of Tourism, in cooperation with the Philippine Embassy in Stockholm, participated in the Sweden International Travel and Tourism Trade Fair in Goteborg, Sweden. Philippine folk songs and dances by members of the Filipino community were presented during the affair.

We congratulate the government and people of Sweden led by Prime Minister Goran Persson, and its Embassy headed by H.E., Ambassador Annika Markovic, on the occasion of their National Day.